The Hill: State by state - KY, MN, OH, OK, PA, VA

[Joe Biden 2020]

Its encouraging that Chuck Schumer is taking a look at Oklahoma.  I know Rice will make the state competitive, and it will make it even better if Schumer shovels some money into the Sooner State, which I believe he will.

Inhofe better watch out.

I got an e-mail yesterday from the Rice Campaign and looks like Inhofe absolutely does not even care about the needs of his own state, anymore.

[Joe Biden 2020]

This is the e-mail I got from State Sen. Andrew Rice:

Dear Jeff:

One year from now, on November 4, 2008, we will all be making an important decision about our nation’s future - whether we maintain the status quo or take a new direction.

In Oklahoma, we will be making the same decision for our state. Do we vote to continue politics as usual, or do vote for change?

I believe I can help lead our country in a new direction, but my campaign for U.S. Senate is not just about me. It’s about every Oklahoman. It’s about the future prosperity of our state.

When I ran for state senate, I knocked on nearly every door in my district and listened to the concerns of the people behind them. Once they became my constituents, I was a better advocate for them because of my door-walking campaign. For my U.S. Senate campaign, I am entering into the same process for the Democratic nomination. Though I can’t knock on every door in the state, I am listening to the people of Oklahoma.  I will be a better voice for Oklahomans if I know what’s important to them, and can address their concerns.

The incumbent senator, Jim Inhofe, on the other hand, proved how out of touch he is last week by taking more than two hours on the Senate floor to rail against the reality of climate change. Instead of being an advocate for the Oklahoma’s promise as a leader in clean-burning energy, he is still debating an issue that’s long settled, isolating himself from even his own party - many of whom see the need to address the problem rather than merely denying the problem.

The Oklahoman on Tuesday included some of my response to Sen. Inhofe's floor speech, in which I called on Sen. Inhofe to spend equal time promoting Oklahoma’s unique position to become a leader in developing alternative energy sources. Our rich reserves of natural gas and our tremendous potential to use wind, switchgrass, animal products, and other natural resources as viable energy alternatives presents us with a great opportunity to lead. But instead of leading, Sen. Inhofe has proved the world is passing him by. He’s stuck on arguing the existence of a problem, while the rest of us are moving on to the solution.

I will continue to lead on this issue. In the coming session of the state legislature, I will push for Oklahoma to convert our state vehicle fleet to clean-burning natural gas. On Saturday, I will speak at an event in Oklahoma City called “Step It Up” as part of a national day of climate action. And as a U.S. Senator, I will be the advocate our state needs - and our nation needs - on this issue.

To make it to the U.S. Senate, though, I need your help. Of course I need you to donate to my campaign if you are able. Sen. Inhofe will be rewarded by the special interests he serves, so I will need your help to get my message for change heard.

However, even with your financial contribution, I know I will not be able to match the millions that are within Senator Inhofe’s reach.

That’s why today I am asking you to help my campaign in a different way. To ensure that our state takes a new direction in 2008, I will need hundreds of volunteers across our state to join me. I won’t have the resources to hire a large staff, and I will need every penny I can save to promote my message on television. Already hundreds of you have signed up to help me as volunteers, agreeing to do everything from knocking on doors to displaying a bumper sticker.

I am issuing a challenge to my supporters to help me reach 750 volunteers by the end of November. Also, I want to have at least one person ready to volunteer for me in each of Oklahoma’s 77 counties by the end of the month.

When I last issued a challenge to my supporters to reach 350 supporters on ActBlue, you responded with tremendous support and blew away my goal - reaching 409 supporters by the end of September. I need your help again to make this challenge as successful as the last one.

The election is one year away, and the time to start taking Oklahoma in a new direction is now. I need your help to make sure that November 4, 2008, is a day for change.

Sincerely,



Andrew Rice
Oklahoma State Senator

P.S.  Make sure to visit my website to read my response to Sen. Inhofe, and to sign up to volunteer. To make a change next November, we need to start this November. You can start this Saturday by attending the Step It Up event in Oklahoma City, or in your community – go to stepitup2007.org for more information.